Lucia and I arrived in Iowa City feeling quite abused by travel. Mommy was feeling crampy in her stomach and achy in the joints. Before the night was over my temp hit 102 degrees and was unable to walk on my right knee. So, in lieu of the original plan to return to work today, I am restricted until next Monday from work. It feels risky to be off longer and I'm nervous about returning. I will see the doc again before I return.

Our Seattle trip was... well... wonderful. The weather really cooperated and Lucia was a very good traveling companion. Here is a list of some of our adventures:

• Woodland Park Zoo
• Dog Park/view of the sound garden
• Out to eat (ALOT)... Favorite meal was either the Dungeness Crab cake eggs Benedict or the King Alaskan Salmon.
• Pike's Park Market
• Underground Tour (just Chris and I here).
• Old Pioneer Square (Guinness with Chris)
• Dinner with Trish and Chris' family and friends
• afternoon out in Kirkland (?) east side art community upscale living part of Seattle. Trish's old haunts were found here.

Plans for future trips include more exploration of the islands and whale watching.

I FINALLY got to meet our Madeleine. She is SUCH a character. She's very much like Chris. However, there is a shyer and more thoughtful Trish side to her too. She's a nice balance. All in all, she's a beautiful and fun-loving girl and we are ecstatic to have gotten the opportunity to get to know her and for her to know us. She was very sweet with her cousin Lucia and even learned to say her name. She was on "Binky Patrol" all weekend long. Every time she found a "Lucia Binky" she would immediately find Lucia and try to shove the Binky in her mouth. One time I was nursing Lucia and hidden from her and she reportedly unrelentlessly looked for us until Grandma helped her find us to give us the binky. Binkies were a big deal.

If, indeed, Lucia turns out to be like her father with his loves the company of trouble- I can see these two stirring up a whole lot in the future.